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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. key — the most important part
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. spell — letters
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. staff — a stick
  11. spell — a short time
  12. squash — to crush
  13. key — for a lock
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. squash — the sport
  16. spell — magic
  17. drill — army training
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. staff — employees
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. key — in music
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com